Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for playing a game and displaying said game. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for playing a game that requires the player to assemble a set of cards to form an image, wherein said cards may optionally be assembled atop an apparatus that aids proper positioning and assembly of said cards, as well as display of the assembled cards.
Many systems and methods have been created to provide people with entertainment via puzzles and games that involve puzzles. Many such systems and methods involve reassembly of segments of an image to recreate an overall image. In its most simplistic form, some such systems and methods include reassembling square segments atop a support surface to create an image. One such system includes a support surface upon which the desired image (i.e., the image that is created when the puzzle is complete) is imprinted or otherwise placed to help the assembler properly piece together the puzzle. In some such systems, cards containing rectangular segments of the image are arranged on the support surface in rows and columns until the image depicted on the support surface is recreated. Alternatively, the cards may be arranged atop a surface other than the support surface. In this scenario, use of the support surface may be omitted or such surface may serve only as a memory aid. Additionally, the cards incorporated in such games may include a picture of the intended image on the back of the card to allow cards related to different puzzles to be distinguished from one another.
Similar games incorporating a support surface exist in which the cards may be affixed or held in place by the support surface. In some such games, the cards may be secured to the support surface by inserting them into slots included within the support surface. Some such games are assembled by first inserting the appropriate cards into the respective slots in the top row of each column. Thereafter, cards are inserted into the respective slots of the lower rows of each column such that they overlap the previously inserted cards. The resulting overall image is created from the visible portions of the inserted cards (i.e., the portions of the cards that are not overlapped by adjacent cards).
Some existing games require players to disassemble one or more puzzles. One such game includes an assembled puzzle image hidden behind an assembled concealing puzzle, wherein the concealing puzzle includes smaller puzzle pieces than the hidden puzzle. In one form, the hidden puzzle image is concealed by a puzzle that contains its own distinct image. In this game, the players take turns removing randomly selected pieces of the concealing puzzle to reveal portions of the concealed puzzle image. When one of the game players correctly guesses the concealed puzzle image, the game is ended and this player is deemed the winner. In more complex versions of such games, the winner must correctly answer a question contained in the concealed puzzle image in addition to identifying the puzzle image.
Another similar game that requires players to disassemble one or more concealing puzzles includes a specific method for removing the pieces of such a puzzle. In one such game, the pieces of the concealing puzzle are square or rectangular, opaque pieces that lie atop a transparent window that protects the surface of the concealed image. Additionally, each piece of the concealing puzzle is color-coded, wherein each color corresponds to a category of questions. To play this game, players take turns choosing pieces of the concealing puzzle. After a player selects a piece, the respective player is asked a question that corresponds to the question category associated with the color of the selected puzzle piece. If the player correctly answers the question, the puzzle piece is removed, revealing a portion of the concealed image. Each player continues to take a turn until one of the players correctly identifies the concealed image, thereby winning the game. In some such games, each piece of the concealing puzzle is assigned a monetary value based on its color to allow the players to earn points as the game progresses.